Android smartphone maker OnePlus is no stranger to unusual marketing tactics. Whether it’s because it’ll only sell phones to those with an invitation, asks customers to trade in their iPhone or Samsung phones for one of its devices, or by leaving out features many Android fans love, it seems to promote discussion with whatever it does. Its latest move is equally interesting, to say the least…

Today, OnePlus has officially started selling iPhone cases in its popular ‘Sandstone Black’ finish. For the unaware, the original OnePlus One smartphone’s rear cover came with this case, as does the OnePlus 2’s. It’s essentially a black plastic with a rough, sand-like finish. A lot of customers love it because of the extra grip. Personally, I much prefer a softer finish. Regardless, OnePlus believes you want to feel this Sandstone Black texture on your iPhone 6/6s so it made you a case.

Like all things from OnePlus, the Sandstone Case is packed in attractive, minimalist packaging. Sliding off the lid reveals the case sitting right on top, while on the inside of the box lid is a physical invite card. Not only does OnePlus want you to feel the texture of its flagship phone, it also wants you to buy the OnePlus X (its 5-inch all-glass and metal smartphone).

As plastic shells go, there’s nothing really wrong with the OnePlus iPhone case. There are well-placed cutouts in all the right places and it’s very easy to apply. It adds a little thickness to the phone and a lot more grip. If you’re biggest concern with the iPhone 6 is how easily it slips out of your hand, the OnePlus case might not be a terrible idea. Still, personally, I’m not a fan of the texture as I find it too rough to want to hold on a daily basis.

As for the invite card, that’s a simple piece of white plastic with a scratch-off portion on the back which reveals the unique invite code for those who want to buy a OnePlus X. Some of the cases even come with invitations to buy a limited edition ceramic-backed model of the device.

The OnePlus Sandstone case is available to buy today from OnePlus.net in the US, UK and mainland Europe for $19.99/£15.99/€19.99.

Contactless credit and debit cards are only just starting to take off in the USA, but with Apple Pay driving merchants to introduce contactless payment terminals, you are increasingly likely to find that RFID symbol on your bank cards when you receive replacements.

We’ve had contactless cards in Europe for a few years now, and they’re even more convenient than Apple Pay for low-value transactions. For anything up to £30 ($46), you don’t need to verify the transaction in any way: just tap your card against the terminal. You can even do this without taking the card out of your wallet. (Bank guarantees protect you against fraudulent transactions.)

Convenient, that is, unless you have more than one contactless card in your wallet. This can either lead to the wrong card being debited or, more usually, cause the transaction to fail. Truffol has come up with an iPhone 6 wallet case specifically designed to solve this problem … expand full story

Apple Pay may mean you need to carry far fewer cards around than before, but it’s not accepted everywhere, so the chances are you’ll still need to carry a physical card or two. But the great thing about dramatically slimming down the cards you carry is that you can also slim down your wallet and iPhone to a single unit using an iPhone wallet case.

Jordan picked the Mujjo Leather Wallet Case as one of his holiday gift recommendations, and I thought I’d put it to the test. Both iPhone 6 and 6 Plus versions are available in black, gray and tan, with a choice of two card-slot designs … expand full story

The overhauled design of iPhone 6 has slowed third party accessory makers to a crawl. We’ve seen a variety of docks and ultra-thin cases from smaller outfits, but name-brand companies are taking an exceptionally long time to bring iPhone 6/Plus accessories to market. Originally released for the iPhone 5/5s, Logitech has retooled its Protection+ case for iPhone 6:

Protection+ for iPhone 6 uses shock-absorbent polymers in each of the corners of the case to better absorb the the force of drops and bumps. This corner protection along with an inner TPR layer and impact channels (seen along the backside), work together to offer military-grade drop protection.

But it’s more than just a protective case. There’s a built-in metal plate on the rear of the case that enables Protection+ to seamlessly integrate with Logitech+ magnetic mounts. We had a chance to use a similar magnetic mount during our Case+ review and found that it provided a rock-solid connection.